Fantozzi (Das größte Rindvieh weit und breit)

Accountant Fantozzi (Paolo Villaggio) is a cog in the machinery of a giant company where he is utterly overlooked: in the film's prologue, it’s discovered that he was accidentally walled up in the old company toilets after his wife called to report him missing for days. What follows is a series of laugh-out-loud episodes, chronicling all the frustrations that work life and leisure have to offer—from a marathon sprint to clock in on time to a disastrous ski vacation. In 1971, Villaggio’s first *Fantozzi* book became a massive success in Italy, and Luciano Salce’s film adaptation added a surreal dimension that defies description. Villaggio himself pointed to the Looney Tunes and Sylvester the Cat as inspirations, yet Fantozzi is a singular phenomenon, achieving near-mythological cult status in Italy while being relegated to obscurity in German-speaking countries under the unfortunate title *Das größte Rindvieh weit und breit*. A boundless masterpiece about the absurdity of modern life. (Christoph Huber)

In the presence of Emanuele Salce on January 10, 2025

Photo: Austrian Film Museum